• Director Steven Spielberg Under Fire After Giving Disrespectful Remarks On "Squid Game" Casts

    Director Steven Spielberg called the cast of Netflix's 'Squid Game' 'unknown actors'.

    Recently, director Steven Spielberg opened up his speech at the 'National Film Producers' Guild Awards' (PGA) panel speech, saying, "A long time ago, it was the American stars who drew audiences into the movies."

    "It is interesting that 'unknown actors' can appear in all mini-series or movies today," he said.

    "I was inspired by the fact that 'The Squid Game' accomplished so much without an American actor," he added.

    Director Steven Spielberg commented, "The Squid Game has completely changed the calculation method (casting)."

    It was a talk about the casting and performance of 'Squid Game', but it was pointed out that the remark of 'unknown actors' was a problem.

    Similar incidents have occurred before.

    At the 'Squid Game' screening event held in the US in November of last year, Lee Jung Jae told NBC's 'Extra TV' reporter, "Now it seems that people are too recognizable to go out of the house. If there is a big change in your life after 'Squid Game', what would it be?" was asked.

    Lee Jung Jae said, "I think the biggest change is that there are many people who recognize me," adding, "Oh, in the United States."

    Also, in a backstage interview with the 'Actors Guild of America' (SAG) backstage interview last month, a reporter for the American entertainment program 'Access Hollywood' asked Lee Jung Jae and Jung Ho Yeon, "You became the 'SAG' winners. What do you miss the most from your unknown days?"

    Lee Jung Jae answered with silence, and Jung Ho Yeon said, "No," and laughed.

    Netizens pointed out, "You can find out about the cast of 'Squid Game' with a simple Google search" and "Americans think there is only the United States in the world." 

  • 'Weak Hero 2' takes over Netflix and sends webtoon sales skyrocketing 20 times

    The hit drama Weak Hero 2 is taking over both streaming charts and fans’ hearts—and now it’s bringing massive attention back to the original Naver webtoon Weak Hero.

    According to Netflix's Tudum Top 10 update on April 30, Weak Hero 2 pulled in a huge 6.1 million views (based on total watch time divided by full runtime) just three days after its release. It grabbed the #1 spot on the Global TOP 10 Non-English TV Series chart.

    That’s not all—right after it dropped, the drama soared to the top of Korea’s TOP 10 Series and even made the TOP 10 charts in 63 countries, including Brazil, France, Mexico, Belgium, Morocco, Greece, Indonesia, and more.

    This follows the success of Weak Hero 1, which previously ranked #8 and stayed on the global chart for five weeks straight.

    With all eyes on the new season, fans are now rushing to read the original webtoon, leading to a massive jump in popularity.

    The webtoon, which first started in May 2018 and wrapped up in November 2023, is famous for its intense storytelling and emotional depth.

    It tells the story of Yeon Si Eun, a quiet and seemingly weak student who turns into a top fighter at a violent school—giving fans a unique and gripping coming-of-age story.

    After Weak Hero Class 2 aired, many viewers started reading or re-reading the webtoon from beginning to end. As a result, sales of the webtoon have shot up more than 20 times compared to its average monthly sales after completion.

    The series has also been turned into printed books, a mobile game, and even emojis, and has been exported to 9 countries, including North America.

    When the first season of the drama premiered on Wavve in 2022, it held 45% of the platform’s total viewing share, proving its wide appeal.

    Fans are now hoping for a new sequel season of the webtoon, and the franchise is being praised as a perfect example of how a strong original story can keep growing through great adaptations.

    Source: [1]